The Clinical research Center application detailed herein proposes a series of clinical investigations into the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of human disease states. Specific areas of investigation include, among others, the following: The characterization of the differential response to the cysteinyl leukotrienes in patients with bronchial asthma; an examination of the structure of the insulin receptor gene and its relationship to insulin action in vivo and in vitro in patients with different types of diabetes mellitus; an investigation of the role of serotonin in patients with eating disorders; an investigation into the relationship between insulin and the sympathetic nervous system in obesity-related hypertension; the characterization of the mechanisms of impaired thirst and renal sodium excretion in aging; an examination of the efficacy of diet and pharmacotherapy in reversing human coronary atherosclerosis; the early diagnosis and treatment of various prethrombotic states; an investigation of the role of renal amine formation in the pathogenesis of human hypertension; studies of the efficacy of new drugs to treat the complications of AIDS; studies of the mechanism of altered glucose metabolism in aging; studies to determine the efficacy of pharmacotherapy to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders; an investigation to determine whether administration of fish oil mitigates the nephrotoxicity of cyclosporine in renal transplant patients; and an investigation of the optimal mechanisms for achieving successful balloon valvuloplasty of the aortic and mitral valves. The specific research proposals are detailed in this application.